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Mosasaurus
Mosasaurus (name meaning "Meuse River Lizard") is a genus of mosasaur that originated during the Late Cretaceous period in what is now Europe and North America. Mosasaurus gave its name to a group of marine lizards - Mosasaurs. Named after the river near which it was first found, this ferocious marine predator fed on such prey as seabirds, sharks, large fish, plesiosaurs and even other mosasaurs. In the episode "Fall of a Kingdom Part I: Hell's Aquarium", a couple of Mosasaurus were brought to the park form Cretaceous period of 65 million years ago. They reside in the Marine Exhibit of the Enclosure. Facts Era & DIscovery Mosasaurus lived during the Late Cretaceous period in the seas of Europe and North America, about 76 to 65 million years ago. It was one of the top predators of the sea. Mosasaurus was the first genus of mosasaurs to be named. The first remains known to science were a fragmentary skull from a chalk quarry in the St Pietersberg, a hill near Maastricht, the Netherlands, found in 1764 and collected by lieutenant Jean Baptiste Drouin in 1766. Physical Attributes Mosasaurus was a large serpentine marine reptile and a ferocious aquatic predator. Mosasaurus breathed air and were powerful swimmers well-adapted to living in the warm, shallow epicontinental seas prevalent during the Late Cretaceous. They grew up to 23 feet (7 m) long and weighed up to 4 tons (6,000 lbs.). The skull was more robustly built than other Mosasaurs, as the mandibles articulated very tightly with the skull. It had a deep, barrel-shaped body, and with its fairly large eyes, poor binocular vision, and poorly developed olfactory bulbs. However, because of its robust skull and tightly articulating jaws, Mosasaurus was unable to swallow prey-items whole in the manner of earlier mosasaurs, such as Tylosaurus. Instead, with the aid of its curved, knife-like teeth, Mosasaurus was able to tear its prey into more manageable pieces that could be more easily swallowed. Behavior & Traits Mosasaurus attacked aquatic animals for food, but would also attack creatures that were above the surface. They would also attack and eat smaller Mosasaurs as well as other aquatic creatures. Mosasaurus was intensely territorial and a cannibal as well. The only meetings between them that do not end in violence occur when they are of opposite sexes, and there is the possibility of mating. Mosasaurus lived near the ocean surface, where it preyed on fish, turtles, ammonites as well as smaller Mosasaurs. Prehistoric Earth A Natural History Season 3 In the episode Diver of the Ocean, Korrina and George go to Prehistoric Lagoon and visitors could watch it feed on sharks in the Mosasaurus Feeding Show. Visitors could also view her through an aquarium below the lagoon known as the Underwater Observatory to see both. Gallery Trivia * Mosasaurus is the next prehistoric marine animal brought to the park. * The sounds of Mosasaurus are that of walrus as well as a killer whale, sea lion, elephant, crocodile, and humpback whale to make him a monstrous appearance. Category:Prehistoric Animals Category:Sea Creatures Category:Sea Monsters Category:Reptiles Category:Cretaceous Wildlife Category:Creature of Interest Category:Co-existers with Dinosaurs Category:Aquatic Reptiles Category:Most Famous Prehistoric Creatures Category:Carnivores Category:Apex Predators Category:Mosasaurs